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Review Revue: Bongwater - The Power of Pussy

03/22/2018

Levi Fuller

Welcome to Review Revue, where every Thursday I dig through the KEXP stacks to share DJ reviews and comments written on the covers of LPs (and occasionally CDs) in the ’80s and ’90s, when the station was called KCMU, the DJs were volunteers, and people shared their opinions on little white labels instead of the internet.

Is there anything Ann Magnuson can't do? In addition to being half of the essential, groundbreaking art-rock band Bongwater, she's been appearing on large and small screens in all manner of roles for over thirty years. And she's still going strong on all of these fronts, including the release of a new solo album in 2016!

The Power of Pussy, Bongwater's third album, had, as you might imagine, a handful of tracks that you can't really play on radio, but the KCMU gang found the ones they could play and tirelessly championed them. I'm not 100% sure, but it seems as if we might be witness on this album cover to the DJs collectively talking the music director into moving The Power of Pussy into heavy rotation. I certainly hope so; it would have been well deserved.

It's true, most of the discussion below is focused on the FCC or the station's rotation, but somehow it makes for compelling reading anyway.

"A-1 is what the FCC would call indecent material. A-4 is really cool, the red dot being in the intro. A-5 - also 'indecent' (if you liked ___ + Mellisa, check it out). B-1 Another one of the above . . . A definite theme album. Very excellent."

"This is ART. Bongwater makes me proud to be an American. This is BRILLIANT."

'"Wow this is good. A-1 [or maybe B-1? One was written over the other] is great. Some funny samples on this record. Lots of Good cuts - B.7, B-9. A-4 is great (red dot) oh well."

"A-3 is pretty. Great typeface. I wonder if the entire alphabet is copyrighted?"

"'Folk Song' Final track. Play It."

"This is so cool!"

"Gosh I wish this was in Heavy, but it's not."

"Do others feel the same way? I'd like to know."

"I feel the same way."

"I'll have to say H too, but only because Todd's twisting my arm."

"1.1 and 1.5 are NOT red dots, but they're pretty damn close! And the red dot in 4 is the spoken intro and is easily excerpted (it's worth it, too). 2.1 isn't a red dot either. This is an amazing LP, but watch out: the segues are tighter than . . . tighter than . . . oh, never mind." [We all appreciate your gesture at restraint.]

"Folk song is cool. 10 minutes of cool."

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Good, but no Double Bummer."

"I'm suspicious. I always am - whenever I see or hear that word 'Art.'"

"Not 'Art.' ART!"

"No, it's not the epic Double Bummer, but what do you expect? Folksong is amazing, and the rest is good, too."